Firstly, as the internet and technology become increasingly advanced, many people are turning to the internet for information and to buy products. This is evident from the high internet subscription rate and the Singapore government’s efforts to promote e-commerce through various initiatives like the PIC scheme. With the fast-paced lifestyle in Singapore, consumers find it more convenient to go online via laptops or mobile devices. This is especially true for working executives aged between 35-54 years. Those who have a higher education and income level tend to use the internet to shop for products and services. With this trend in consumer behavior, it will be advantageous for businesses to tap into this market by adopting an online marketing strategy. A cost-effective way to kick-start this will be to set up a website to showcase their products and services. With a website, it can help businesses create awareness and reach out to potential customers. However, it is not enough to just create a website. It has to be visible to the targeted audience. This is where SEO plays an important role.
In this first section “1. Introduction”, it will start off with the background and overview of website development in Singapore. It will include the objectives of this project, the targeted audience, and the findings and contributions that we have researched throughout this assignment. Following on will be the importance of SEO training workshops and the role it can play in helping businesses develop their own websites to have an online presence on the internet. This section will give insight into the importance of understanding SEO and its relevance to businesses in website development Singapore.
Overview of Website Development in Singapore
In order for your website to serve its purpose, it needs to be designed properly. The design should be just right, so that it is effective at drawing in potential customers in one way or another. The website should also be optimized for search engines, as the majority of businesses will need to rely on search engine traffic. This will be the most cost-effective and efficient way to advertise for the long term. In the case where businesses are looking to do some form of internet marketing, having an SEO-friendly website will also provide a head start. Given these points, it is said that the demand for web designers/developers with the knowledge of SEO is much higher than those without SEO knowledge. This is also reflected by the fact that the salaries of those with SEO knowledge are significantly higher.
The world of internet marketing is constantly evolving, and businesses in Singapore are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of having a website to promote their products and services. With the cost of web hosting being so low, the majority of small to medium-sized companies are able to set up their own website. However, designing a website is one thing, and getting it seen is another. This is where having a website for today’s market comes into play.
Importance of SEO Training Workshops
SEO is a constantly changing field; reinvention is a necessity in staying ahead of the game. That is the reason why we seek to learn and teach you the most ethical and up-to-date optimization techniques. This is the very reason why a comprehensive understanding of Search Engine Optimization can only be achieved through in-depth knowledge and practical experience. There are plenty of IT training needs in Singapore that could be well-served by a Workshop. This SEO Workshop is designed for a number of different groups. This SEO Workshop is for those who can’t afford a full-time consultant and are looking for ways to help their site. It’s also for those who are really bound and determined to learn the SEO process and for web designers who want to add optimization to their service list.
Fundamentals of Website Development
With the combined skills of HTML and CSS, a simplistic website can be created quite easily. Due to the variety in web design concepts, HTML and CSS are often confused to be very complex. In some cases, this is true. However, the basis of HTML and CSS leads to the fundamentals of complex web design.
CSS3 is the latest version of cascading style sheets, and its aim to enhance many features from its previous iteration is well on its way to completion. But not every aspect of the CSS3 stylesheet has been finalized.
CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is a style sheet language used for describing the look and formatting of a document written in a markup language. CSS is designed primarily to enable the separation of document content from document presentation, including elements such as the layout, colors, and fonts. This is intended to increase the accessibility of the document and to provide greater flexibility and control in the specification of presentation characteristics.
HTML is a very basic markup language. This means that it has specific rules and often it is missing out on the closing tag, like seen in the above code not present in HTML, and the use of attributes, e.g. colspan. There are no exceptions to these rules.
HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language, is the basic building block of website development. It defines the meaning and structure of web content. HTML5 is the latest iteration of the HTML standard. It’s an umbrella term that has been used to represent a set of several different technologies.
HTML and CSS Basics
While HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the building blocks of a webpage, which deals with the content and paragraphs, on the other hand, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is used to control the appearance of webpages, dictate the presentation and formatting of a document written in a markup language. It gives the webpage a better visual look. Although with CSS, we can control the layout of the webpage as well. CSS can be applied directly to HTML, can be used with an XML-based document, and is independent of HTML. With the conventions of HTML and CSS stated, it is important to understand that both these entities are dynamic and ever-changing. New versions are released from time to time with additional features, removed tags, and amended functions. But we are concerned with the latest stable release, which is HTML5 and CSS3. This workshop is based on teaching how to create a webpage in the best possible way, i.e., using HTML5 and CSS3. Hence, the building blocks to create a webpage will start from HTML, and all markup will be done in HTML5 style. Following the design aspect, which will make use of CSS, and styling will be done using CSS3.
Responsive Design Principles
The content for this section briefly explains about what responsive design is and its basic principles. It helps readers to understand what responsive design is and how it affects the design of a website. Then it explains the three main principles of responsive design, which are using a flexible grid layout, flexible images and media, and media queries. All explanations are using a simple example, which makes it easy to understand. Next, it states the common mistakes done by web designers when designing a website and how these mistakes defy the principles of responsive design. It also shares some advice on how to avoid these mistakes so that the site can achieve a good responsive design. It later explains how to create a responsive design with a mobile-first approach. This is the modern best practice for designing a website to make the site’s mobile version, and it explains the reasons why it is a good practice. The last content in this section talks about what a good responsive design can bring to a website. This is a good way to end the content because site owners who want to apply responsive design would want to know the advantages the site will get if they successfully create a good responsive design.
User Experience and Interface Design
There is UI or user interface and then there is UX, which is the user experience. To be simplistic, we can say that the UI is the actual design of the site and the way it is laid out. This can be affected by a multitude of factors; in fact, any factor which affects how the user sees the website or how they interact with it can be classed as UI. An often overlooked aspect of UI is the fact that sometimes the user doesn’t even notice it when it is done right. You should get a feeling of the website being friendly and easy to use without being able to pinpoint exactly what it is about the site that makes it so. This is good design and layout will often go unnoticed and unappreciated, but that doesn’t mean it should be skimped on, and good UI design is to be strived for. Good UI design will often lead to a good user experience. Though the difference between the two can be blurred. As said, the former is to do with the website design and layout, the latter is to do with how visitors feel while navigating the site. UX factors can be split into 2 groups: those which affect the conscious mind of the user and those which affect the subconscious. The former includes things like load times, fun factor, and entertainment value. While important to a good UX, these are often areas which people will instantly think of when they think of how a site feels to use.
Advanced Website Development Techniques
In any case, it is imperative for a web developer to understand how data is passed between the server and the client. In modern web development, the model often involves the server providing JSON data in response to a request, and the client then rendering this data without incurring a page reload. This is the basis of AJAX, a fundamental skill for modern web developers. A strong understanding of server-side development and databases will open the door to building dynamic web applications and sites with a more sophisticated data model.
Server-side development will involve learning how to write web servers (using Node.js), understanding RESTful APIs, building and maintaining a database, and possibly writing server scripts for cron jobs or other administrative tasks. If a developer is already comfortable working with Java, Ruby, or PHP, learning server-side JavaScript will be beneficial as it will allow execution of the same language on both the server and the client, possibly reducing context switching.
However, with traditional websites, search engines can’t efficiently index content, and load times have a significant impact on search engine ranking. This has steered the general consensus away from using SPAs unless the application is not intended to be indexed or it is indexed through a method other than web crawlers. This does not diminish the value of learning how to build an SPA, as the use of web APIs continues to rise, and many web applications are being built with no intention of general indexing. Learning when and how to implement an SPA is a valuable skill.
A Single Page Application (SPA) is a web application or website that fits on a single web page with the goal of providing a more fluid user experience akin to a desktop application. In an SPA, a page does not reload at any point in the process, nor does it transfer control to another page. This has great benefits by avoiding interruption of the user experience between successive pages, making the interaction with the website more continuous and effective.
JavaScript is a high-level, object-based scripting language used in web pages to make the page dynamic, interactive, and user-friendly. Understanding how to write JavaScript and using front-end frameworks like AngularJS and EmberJS helps developers create more compelling and intuitive user experiences, drive user engagement, and ultimately retain more users for a longer period of time. These frameworks allow developers to build Single Page Applications in a very modular and maintainable way.
JavaScript and Front-end Frameworks
When web development started in the early 1990s, it was centered purely around Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). As development progressed, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) were introduced to give the look of the website some structure. CSS is widely seen as a style and design language aiming to separate content and document presentation. Its most common application is to style web pages written in HTML and XHTML, but it can also be applied to any kind of XML document, including plain XML, SVG, and XUL. Popular in XUL user interfaces. Following the addition of CSS, JavaScript came into use to make websites more interactive. JavaScript is an object-oriented scripting language that can be applied to documents or placed on a website. This form of JavaScript, combining HTML with CSS, is commonly referred to as front-end JavaScript, with modern frameworks being used to ease development.
Server-side Development and Databases
An alternative to server-side coding is the use of website builders or CMS (Content Management Systems) like WordPress, where building a website can be as simple as choosing a theme and dragging and dropping, with minimal coding involved. However, server-side coding is still useful and sometimes necessary to create website features that are not possible with CMS.
Static web pages are still useful in cases where a simple web presence is all that is required, and when the site will only have a few pages. When dealing with SQL databases, it is useful for web developers to use PHPMyAdmin, as it provides a user interface to work with MySQL databases and SQL queries.
PHP is the most commonly used server-side language in web development, and a good understanding of PHP is vital in allowing the web developer to create a website with clean and current code. With PHP, information is stored in a database and the website content is created by constructing web pages from the content in the database. This is a more efficient way of creating a website compared to creating individual HTML pages, and more popular websites use this method of dynamically generating pages. This is especially beneficial if the website needs to change its content often, as the information in the database can easily be updated and the changes will be reflected on the website.
Since a total website consists of both client-side and server-side logic, it is essential for web developers to possess knowledge of server-side development. Client-side coding mostly concerns the design and user interface of a website, while server-side coding is more to do with the back-end computation and displaying that information on the front end. By using server-side code, web developers are able to create website content on the fly by connecting to a database.
Integrating SEO Best Practices
Finally, remove any duplicate pages or redundant links. The “site map” feature in Integrity’s web development programs is useful here, as it will specify the location of every page on your website.
Next, make sure to implement 301 redirects for any URL changes. A 301 redirect is the most efficient and search engine friendly method for webpage redirection. It ensures that the original URL is no longer in use and redirects to the new URL.
Step 1. Clear URL Structure The URLs on your site should be static and include keywords. Dynamic URLs are common with content management systems and can often have many irrelevant parameters. Using parameters in the URL can sometimes cause search engines to overlook the page. Query String parameters that include session IDs, and parameters that track the source of the click are often ignored. A common URL that looks something like this is not search engine friendly. A better URL for the same page would look like this. Static URLs are also easier to remember for end users.
The importance of SEO cannot be overstated. And the best time to start thinking about SEO is during the site development stage. This is when it’s easiest to implement necessary changes. But unfortunately, this is a topic that is often overlooked by web developers. It’s often assumed that SEO is a marketing task and that it can be handled at the end of a development project. This is not the case. Marketing tasks should be left until the end, but SEO is a development task. SEO should be a consideration in every part of the website development process. By utilizing the following best practices, you can ensure that your website is being developed with SEO in mind. At a very minimum, make sure to follow each step as soon as the relevant content has been added to your site. Later implementations can be costly and less effective.
A website’s ranking in search engines greatly affects traffic. So it’s no surprise that the topic of search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most widely discussed in web development. SEO is a way of designing and wording a website so that it improves the likelihood of the website ranking well in search results.
SEO Training Workshops in Singapore
Cost and timing are the other two important factors. These days, with the bleak economic outlook, price always plays a factor in any form of purchase. You would also not want to be spending too much time learning the skills of SEO. It is simply supplementary to your current job, so you wouldn’t want your job to be affected in any way. Typically, you would want the course to be around 1-2 days, and anything more than that will be pushing it.
The next thing to note is what the training course is offering to teach you. Granted, there is only so much you can learn about SEO as it’s a spontaneous marketing strategy that requires quick thinking and analysis of the current market. A generic guideline of the outline would be teachings on organic search, on-page and off-page optimization, link building, SEO site audit, and ways to measure SEO success. This will give you a rough idea of what the SEO course is teaching you and if it’s the right knowledge you need to enhance your website.
With that in mind, it is assumed that you understand the concepts and terms of SEO to even be considering a training course for SEO. So the basic requirement is a full understanding of what SEO is.
Mastering Website Development has a section entirely dedicated to SEO Training Workshops in Singapore. It has compiled a list of things you need to note in choosing the right SEO training course. I always tell my clients and people who are interested in doing SEO that before actually starting off, you have to at least understand the concept and what SEO really is. I would say that SEO is a complicated marketing strategy that, if done right, could potentially get you great results. But if done wrongly, it will only cost you more money and time in trying to get your website back to its original state.
Choosing the Right SEO Training Course
In the situation of a company sending their staff for some training, the main aim is to find an increase in productivity and a more cost-effective usage of this knowledge. If you can measure how much you or your staff has gained from this training, it is easy to conclude whether it is a sound investment. A successful training course should increase your overall understanding of SEO, it should teach a comprehensive range of skills rather than just teaching to pass exam. Establishing clear objectives will allow you to definitely assess the value added to the company as well as your development as an individual.
There are a variety of SEO training courses out there, offered by both SEO professionals and institutions. Look for references, put out a guaranteed list of things you feel you’ll need to learn and check whether this course teaches these knowledge. Although it can be pricey, it is usually a very sound investment if it greatly broadens your possibilities of employment.
On-page Optimization Techniques
The final step is to use the keywords tag to specify a list of keywords that are relevant to the article. This can be quite an easy thing to remember, but so often people still don’t get this right.
Keywords are simply the words that people use to communicate, and search queries are the questions that they want answered. Using keywords in the right place means using them in the form of an answer to the question. You will want to start each article or section with an introduction, having an H1 header containing your keywords and a paragraph. Then expand into detail in the section with a few paragraphs. If that doesn’t make sense, go look at the H1 title tag on any Wikipedia article page. This is what they specify under each heading: a brief description using the keywords, sticking to the same topic.
So, you are done with keyword selection for your website. The next step is to use them in the content on your site for search engine optimization or on-page optimization techniques. This is where the importance of using the selected keywords comes. This should be taken as a rule of thumb: “Never sacrifice the quality of your content for the quantity of keywords.”
An informative tone example would be:
Off-page SEO Strategies
Using blog guides and directory submission: A guide is a simple and very effective way of achieving traffic to a certain page. It involves writing a short article about a topic which can be linked back to the page. If the article is well-written and search engine optimized, whenever a user queries a topic on a search engine, it is probable that the guide will appear high in the search results. Users will then read the guide and click the link to the page. Directory submission is a simple process where the page is directly submitted to a web directory. The user can select a category and add a link to the page to increase the number of individuals who visit the directory and later visit the user’s web page.
Topics to be included are: Link building: Link building can be defined as the process of enhancing the quality and the volume of the traffic on a particular website through search engines. The higher the page is found in the search results, the more users visit the site. There are a few strategies to achieving this. The best way of increasing the page’s rank is by gaining inbound links from other pages which have a higher rank. This is due to the fact that search engine crawlers discover the links to your page on other websites, and this in turn makes your page look more favorable. Another strategy is adding links from your page to others. The ideal position to place these links is usually in a blog post or a review, which can be seen by the visitors of the other web page.
Analyzing and Monitoring SEO Performance
One of the basic ways to monitor the performance of optimized keywords is to manually search the keyword in popular search engines and note the ranking of your website. A major flaw with this method is that firstly it is very time-consuming and secondly it is not an accurate method to check the ranking of a website as search results are personalized and differ from each user and also it is subjected to the data centers in which the search engines are using. An effective way to check the rankings of your keywords is to use rank checking software. There are many tools that are available for purchase or free downloads that query your keyword on the search engines and return the ranking of your website for that specific keyword. Some examples include the SEO toolbar from Aaron Wall and the SEO software from iBusiness Promoter. We would tend to use SEO and rank checking software from the same companies as it would be easier to reference the ranking data used by the analytical software. Once the ranking data has been retrieved, it should be stored in a spreadsheet to monitor the progress of the rankings over time.
The main focus in implementing SEO is to allow a website to gain a good standing in search engine rankings for its relevant keyword. This would be easier said than done. An important aspect often overlooked is the monitoring of the SEO process. Although it is possible to achieve a good listing for a keyword that is being optimized for, it is another issue altogether to maintain/improve the ranking post optimization. The nature of search engine is dynamic due to the fact that there are new websites being introduced every day and there are also others that are being heavily optimized. Events such as these would result in a ranking drop for some of the keywords as your website might have been affected. Hence we need to identify such issues and take preventive steps to ensure the rankings of our specific keywords are not affected.
